★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I could barely find any fault with this book. Can I just say how glad I am to have picked up a standalone fantasy?
It's of silver wielding, a rebellion, and the outlawing of magic by a tyrant of a ruler. Ren Kolins is the only one other than the royals who possesses the ability to manipulate silver. But magic is against the law, and after the Silver Purge, it is more important than ever that Ren keeps her silver a secret. But one day, rebel leader approaches her with a bargain: join his rebellion, take down the king with her silver (how could she not have been more careful?), and she will own a fortune. Meanwhile, the position of King's Fang is up for grabs. The King's Children are more than determined to land themselves that privilege, and are fired up to capture the rebel leader.
This book is written in the third person, with four characters' viewpoints as the main focus. I enjoyed reading all except for one: the viewpoint of one of the King's Children, Adley. As much as I understand how sad her circumstance is, I cannot bring myself to like her all that much. Yes, she is thrust in a situation that requires her to be someone she is not, and perhaps choosing the other path will bring her death, but I just couldn't bring myself to like reading and learning about her side of the story. But Ren's, Darek's and Kellen's, I like them all. I am happy to say that no character left me pulling my hair because they decide to do extremely stupid things. Character build-up are fantastic, each of them having distinct voices and personalities. My favourite has god to be Ren for being so badass and strong. Plot is planned and written well, too. I really hadn't expected any twists, but there they were.
The fantasy aspect of this is pretty light, I've got to say, but the author makes sure to include all types of scenarios a silver wielder can use their magic on. Silver wielders are not almighty. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I feel that they are as vulnerable as non-magic folks, and somehow, that feels pretty refreshing. Adley, with her fantastic skills as a King's Child, is proof that non-wielders can be as strong as those who can use magic.
Ren's romance with Darek was pretty okay. This pairing is amazing. Although I feel the beginnings of this romance could be improved in the manner of speed, I still enjoyed it. I couldn't get enough of those flutters. Plus, a hate-to-love romance? I'm weak with that. There is also an LGBT romance within, so kudos to the author for including them in.
I was wary of this book at first. Reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson has made me have high hopes for such a storyline as overthrowing a king, but I'm left pleasantly surprised. Extremely glad that I got to read this. The ending leaves room for a possible companion novel, and if Jennifer Gruenke decides to write one, I would most certainly love to immerse myself in her writing again.
This review is written based on the ARC provided by the publisher through Netgalley.